Russian guns captured during the Crimean War were acquired by the Derby, Worcester and Nottingham arboretums after elaborate civic ceremonies. At Derby Arboretum, cannon were placed in front of the 'crystal palace' on the extension. However over the years that the Derby Arboretum Park has existed, so much has happened
and fashions have changed.

The Arboretum has in the past housed cannons from the Crimean War, aviaries, an art deco bandstand, bomb shelters and municipal greenhouses. The original establishment of the Derby Arboretum was the result of collaboration between two men; the benefactor, Joseph Strutt (1765-1844), and the designer, John Claudius Loudon (1783-1843). The Arboretum was given to the people of Derby in 1840 and is often described as Britain's first public park. By the mid-1840s, the Arboretum was a well-known tourist attraction with people coming from all over the country on the recently-completed rail network. The Rosehill playing fields were added in 1845 complete with the large glass 'crystal palace'. This scaled down version of the South London Crystal Palace was built by Charles Fox on the Rosehill Street side of the park.

Today there is no trace of the cannons as they apparently went for scrap in WWII. Should you be aware of an early picture of them we would welcome sight of it. Please email us as below.